A Unitree G1 is advertised at €16,000 on the manufacturer's website. By the time you take delivery in Lyon or Marseille, you have actually paid out between €21,000 and €22,000. Nobody explicitly tells you where the difference goes. Here is the full breakdown, based on real international trade data for 2026.
1. The manufacturer's price is only a starting point
Every manufacturer advertises an "ex-works" price (FOB in customs jargon): that is the price of the robot before it leaves its country of origin. Three items will be added before it rings your doorbell:
- International shipping (air freight or sea container + insurance): €500 to €2,500 depending on the size of the robot.
- Customs duties on entry into the EU: 0 to 3.7% depending on the country of origin (see below).
- French VAT: 20% on the total (price + shipping + customs).
2. HS code 8479.89: the likely classification
Customs use a Harmonised System (HS) to categorise every product. Humanoids have no dedicated code — they are classified under HS 8479.89: "machines and mechanical appliances having individual functions, not specified elsewhere".
Why 8479.89 and not 8479.50 ("industrial robots")? Because consumer humanoids are not recognised as "industrial robots" in the strict customs sense (which covers the articulated arms found in car plants). But this classification remains an estimate until a freight forwarder confirms it officially with the French customs administration.
3. Customs duty rates by country of origin
| Country of origin | EU customs duty rate | Robots concerned |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 0% | Tesla Optimus, Figure 02, Apptronik Apollo, Boston Dynamics Spot/Atlas, Agility Digit |
| China | 3.7% | Unitree G1, Unitree H1, Fourier GR-1 |
| Norway (EEA) | 0% | 1X NEO |
| Canada (CETA) | 0% | Sanctuary Phoenix |
The 0% rate for robots coming from the United States is down to a trade agreement currently in force between the EU and the United States on advanced mechanical machinery. That rate may change with the geopolitical climate — keep an eye on tariff news if you are buying in bulk.
4. A concrete example: a Unitree G1 delivered to Paris
Take a Unitree G1 sold at €16,000 excl. VAT ex-works (Hangzhou, China). Here is the breakdown of the final invoice:
| Item | Amount | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Ex-works price (FOB China) | €16,000 | Unitree manufacturer's price |
| International shipping + insurance | + €1,100 | Unitree shipping policy: $300 to $1,200 depending on the product |
| Customs duties (3.7%) | + €633 | 3.7% × (16,000 + 1,100) |
| Subtotal before VAT | €17,733 | |
| French VAT 20% | + €3,547 | 20% × 17,733 |
| Total invoice in Paris | €21,280 |
That is an extra cost of +33% compared with the advertised price. It is precisely the kind of information we would have liked to know before buying — and that nobody on the market provides clearly today.
The shipping figure is not an estimate on our part: Unitree publishes its shipping rates, from $300 to $1,200 depending on the product, and we take the top of the range for a humanoid weighing several tens of kilos. When a manufacturer publishes nothing — which is the case for most of them — we do not fill the gap: the robot's page then shows the total excluding shipping as an "at least" figure, and says so.
This calculation is not specific to this article: it is exactly the one that runs on every robot page on the site, line by line, from the manufacturer's price, the stated incoterm, the customs code and the VAT of the destination country. The page and the article cannot contradict each other, since there is only one piece of arithmetic.
5. CE marking: the hurdle everyone forgets
In theory, every robot sold to a private individual in the EU must carry the CE marking (Conformité Européenne), certifying that it complies with the Machinery, Electromagnetic Compatibility and Radio directives. In practice, in 2026:
- Marking obtained: Boston Dynamics Spot (an atypical case, as it is already a mature product).
- Marking in progress: Unitree G1, Unitree H1, Fourier GR-1, 1X NEO.
- Status unknown / unconfirmed: Figure 02, Tesla Optimus, Sanctuary Phoenix, Apptronik Apollo, Agility Digit (all B2B-focused today).
Buying a robot without CE marking as a private individual is legally grey. Customs can hold the parcel at the border, and in the event of an accident your insurer may refuse cover. For educational or R&D use (universities, engineering schools), there is more leeway, but it is not unlimited.
6. Our practical advice before you buy
- Ask for a "delivered to your address" quote from the manufacturer or its EU reseller before you sign. Refuse to take the "ex-works price" as the final reference.
- Use a freight forwarder for imports from outside the EU. Cost: €200 to €600 depending on the service, but they secure the customs classification and handle the paperwork. A few well-known names in France: Bolloré Logistics, Geodis, Kuehne+Nagel.
- Check the CE marking before buying. It is your guarantee if something goes wrong. If it is "in_progress", ask for the expected date in writing.
- Keep every invoice (manufacturer, shipping, customs, VAT): it is useful for accounting depreciation if the use is professional, and for resale.
- Consider leasing: most contracts include the delivered price and after-sales support, which avoids nasty surprises. A marginal extra cost, but simpler to manage.
Why Botoide publishes these figures
We have been saying it around us from the start: the manufacturer's price is misleading for a European buyer. That is why every robot page in the Botoide comparison tool now features a dedicated "Availability & real cost in France" block, with an estimate of the delivered price, the applicable customs rate and the CE marking status. It is imperfect — all this data changes — but it is more honest than letting a potential buyer discover the extra cost when the parcel arrives.
Our goal: to make Botoide the one site where you will know how much the robot you are looking at is really going to cost. With no nasty surprises on delivery.